Germany, Turkey bust call center crime ring

German and Turkish police have busted a call center in the southwestern Turkish city of Izmir over an apparent international crime ring, German newspaper Rheinische Post reported on Saturday.

Suspects at the call center allegedly posed as police officers and phoned elderly people in Germany to try and dupe them into handing over money and jewelry.

The suspects reportedly told senior citizens that their valuables weren't safe at their home or at the bank and that they would send police to collect them for safekeeping.

Police confiscate millions

Citing police, the Rheinische Post reported that authorities had seized cash worth €1.7 million ($2 million) during the raids in early December, as well as 5 kilograms (11 pounds) of gold, 41 high-end cars and 87 properties including luxury homes and hotels totaling €105 million.

The newspaper said 38 people had been arrested earlier this month and 48 locations searched in addition to the call center, adding that the architects of the criminal operation had previously been expelled from Germany for criminal offenses.

"In this call center, there were members of families that lived in Germany before but were deported because of crimes," Thomas Jungbluth of the state criminal police in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia told the Rheinische Post. "They resettled in Turkey."

Wolfgang Herrmanns from the state criminal office told the paper that police have "drained the swamp."

"Since we raided the call center, there have been barely any such calls in Germany anymore," he said.